Top 7 Best Lesson Plans for 'Xúy Vân Giả Dại' (Grade 10 - Sách Cánh Diều)

1. Preparation

• The text narrates the tale of Xúy Vân pretending to be mad.
• Events unfold as:
• Xúy Vân is married to Kim Nhan, a poor scholar from Nam Định.
• After the wedding, Kim Nhan travels to Tràng An to further his studies.
• Xúy Vân becomes despondent while waiting, and is approached by Trần Phương, a wealthy man from Đông Ngàn, who persuades her to feign madness to escape her marriage.
• Xúy Vân pretends to be mad; despite Kim Nhan's efforts to cure her, he eventually lets her go.
• Trần Phương reveals his true intentions, leaving Xúy Vân heartbroken, and she eventually becomes truly insane.
• Main character: Xúy Vân, depicted through actions and dialogue.
• Literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and repetition enhance the emotional depth and setting.
• The title and imagery evoke a poignant impression: Xúy Vân is portrayed as a gentle, beautiful woman driven to feign madness.

2. Reading Comprehension

Question 1: What makes the use of language in Xúy Vân’s song unique?

The language in Xúy Vân’s song combines naive madness with moments of clarity and deep sorrow.

Question 2: What does Xúy Vân reveal about herself in her self-introduction?

Xúy Vân recounts how she was deceived by Trần Phương, following his advice to feign madness to escape her marriage, which ultimately led to her true insanity.

Question 3: What does Xúy Vân lament about? Pay attention to the metaphor in the upcoming song.

Xúy Vân laments her yearning for her lover. The metaphor “A fish in a muddy pond—subject to countless fishing hooks” vividly captures her plight and the injustice she feels.

3. Answering Questions

Question 1: What rhetorical devices, melodies, dance steps, and stage directions do the folk authors use to narrate the tale of “Xúy Vân Giả Dại”?

Speech styles include mock speech, playful language, and performance styles.

Melodies include Quá Giang, Con Gà Rừng, Sắp, Sa Lệch, and Reverse Singing.

Dances: Spider-Weaving, Silk-Spinning, and Loom-Dancing.

Stage directions: Đế.

Question 2: Identify the primary spoken lines, songs, and stage directions that illustrate:

a. Xúy Vân’s role in feigning madness.

b. Her dream for a happy family life.

c. Her harsh reality within her husband’s household.

Hints:

a.

- I humbly ask you not to laugh,

I encounter neither the moon nor the breeze but am besieged by strangers,

Let strangers be strangers,

And remember to keep your honor intact.

- I am Xúy Vân,

Naive, but of priceless talent,

Renowned throughout the land for my singing,

Everyone calls me by my name—Xúy Vân

I belong to Kim Nhan, captivated by Trần Phương,

Leading to my mad and erratic state.

b.

Wait until the rice turns golden

For the husband to harvest, and the wife to bring food.

c.

- The wild cock mingles with the domestic hen,

Cannot endure the bitterness, and is vexed!

Pecking left, pecking right

Unable to be noticed, an enduring complaint.

Question 3: How is Xúy Vân’s state of mind conveyed through her calls for the ferry, in the song “The Wild Cock,” in her laments, and reversed songs?

Xúy Vân feels regret, shame, and isolation over her actions. She experiences a deep sense of bitterness, loneliness, and confusion as she loses direction.

Question 4: Analyze the effect of an artistic element in the text that exemplifies the distinctive traits of Cheo theater.

- The portrayal of emotions through song highlights the conflict between appearance and inner turmoil.

- The use of diverse speech styles, melodies, dances, and stage directions conveys the evolution of the characters’ emotions.

Question 5: Do you find Xúy Vân more pitiable or blameworthy? Why?

Xúy Vân is both pitiable and blameworthy. She is pitiable because her marriage was arranged without love, and she was left to endure isolation. However, she is also blameworthy for being gullible and falling prey to Trần Phương’s deceit, compromising her marital loyalty.

Question 6: If Xúy Vân lived in modern times, how could she have escaped her tragic fate?

Xúy Vân would openly confess her mistakes to Kim Nhan and seek his forgiveness.

Câu 1: The text recounts the story of Thúy Vân feigning madness, being lured by Trần Phương to escape her husband, and eventually slipping into real madness. The sequence of events unfolds as follows: Kim Nham, a poor scholar from Nam Định, marries Thúy Vân, a gentle and modest girl. While waiting for her husband to study in Tràng An, Thúy Vân is courted by Trần Phương, a wealthy, influential man, who persuades her to pretend to be mentally ill to escape her husband. Thúy Vân pretends to be mad, but when Kim Nham fails to cure her, he lets her go. Trần Phương breaks his promises, causing Thúy Vân to suffer deeply, leading her to descend into real madness. Later, after Kim Nham gains success and becomes a government official, he discovers his former wife begging, feels remorse, and tries to help her. However, Thúy Vân, overwhelmed with shame, drowns herself in the river.

I. Understanding the Play "Xúy Vân giả dại"

1. Genre: Chèo cổ: Traditional folk theater, originated from ancient times created by folk authors and passed down to this day.

2. Origin and Circumstances of Creation:

- The excerpt "Xúy Vân giả dại" is taken from the play "Kim Nham".

3. Mode of Expression: self-narrative

4. Summary:

Xúy Vân is a beautiful, talented girl, the daughter of a district magistrate, married off to Kim Nham, a poor but studious scholar. The arranged marriage, lacking love, leads to a tragic life for her. After Kim Nham goes to Tràng An to study, Xúy Vân is left in a cold and demeaning environment. Hoping to find happiness, she trusts Trần Phương, who deceives her into pretending to be mentally ill to escape the oppressive household. However, Trần Phương turns out to be deceitful, leaving her to spiral into genuine madness.

5. Structure:

• Section 1: Before meeting Trần Phương
• Section 2: After meeting Trần Phương

6. Content Value:

• "Xúy Vân giả dại" captures the tragic love and the internal conflict of Xúy Vân in a remarkable way.
• The tragic fate torn between the yearning for love and happiness against the harsh circumstances of women in the past.
• Empathy for Xúy Vân’s suffering showcases the author’s deeply humane perspective.

7. Artistic Value:

• Skillful development of the character’s inner thoughts
• Precious dramatic situations

PREPARATION

• Situation: Thuy Van pretends to be crazy, but ends up truly losing her sanity.
• Development: The poor student Kim Nham is married to Xuy Van by the district chief Tề. While waiting for her husband, Xuy Van is convinced by the rich man Tran Phuong to feign madness to escape her marriage. However, when she starts pretending to be mad, her husband Kim Nham tries everything to cure her, ultimately granting her freedom. At this point, Tran Phuong shows his true deceptive nature. After Kim Nham becomes successful, he sees his former wife, Xuy Van, wandering the streets in madness, and he sends food and money to her. Xuy Van, ashamed and heartbroken, eventually jumps into a river to commit suicide. The main character in the text is Xuy Van, portrayed through the imagery and language of someone pretending to be insane.
• Directions: lean speech, gestures, hitchhiking, drumbeats, wild bird dance, silk spinning, weaving. After performing, Xuy Van sings and laughs, dancing to a tune...; backward singing, misaligned speaking, Xuy Van enters, walking and laughing insanely.
• Imagery: vivid imagery with deep connotations.
• Vocabulary: familiar and easy to understand.
• Literary devices: similes, repetition, metaphors.
• Depiction: loneliness, sorrow, disappointment in married life.
• Impression: Xuy Van is a beautiful girl, raising the question of why she would choose to feign madness.

COMPOSITION OF XUY VAN PRETENDING MADNESS - DIEM PHAN PHIA UNDERSTANDING READING SECTION

Question 1.

- Stage directions (lean speech; gestures; wild bird dance; silk spinning)

- Depiction: Xuy Van feels sorrow and disappointment in a marriage that doesn’t meet her expectations. Waiting for her husband to study, in an empty room, she feels isolated and lonely. Even though she has a family, it doesn’t bring her happiness.

Question 2.

The language is rich in imagery, filled with implied meanings, expressed in half-mad, half-real words.

Question 3.

In self-representation, Xuy Van tells about herself: She is talented, sings beautifully, but because of her infatuation with Tran Phuong, she betrayed Kim Nham and ended up truly losing her sanity.

Question 4.

Imagery showing Xuy Van's situation, aspirations, and mood:

• Wild bird, wild bird mingling with peacock / The bitterness is unbearable, how frustrating!
• Branches tied, branches interwoven / Far away shakes, far away sings.
• Waiting for the ripe grain, golden crops / For him to go harvest, for her to bring food.
• Frustration because of the spring noise.

Question 5.

Xuy Van is a diligent, skillful laborer. Her dances evoke deep emotion. The songs reflect her fate of hardship.

Question 6.

• Regret about her former lover. She reminisces about her past love with Kim Nham, unable to sleep.
• Literary device: metaphorical allusions.

Question 7.

The absurd, unrealistic things in Xuy Van's song are most clearly shown in the ending of the text: “The rice drum, who skillfully beats it to sow... Riding a wild bird to go fight!”

FINAL QUESTIONS

Brief answer to the questions on page 68 of the Literature Textbook 10th grade Cánh Diều volume 1

Question 1.

• Speech style: lean speech, gestures, sorrowful expressions.
• Melody: hitchhiking, wild bird dance, backward singing.
• Dance: silk spinning, weaving.
• Stage directions: leaning, walking, laughing madly.

Question 2.

a) The “role-playing” as a mad person of Xuy Van.

• I clasp my hands, pray, don’t laugh at me. / I’m not the moonlight, yet I meet someone like the moonlight.
• To not hide anything, Xuy Van is me. / Despite foolishness, highly talented among women, / Everyone says I sing beautifully, / They call me Miss Xuy Van. / Betraying Kim Nham, infatuated with Tran Phuong, / Therefore ending up mad and crazy.

b) Her dream of a family life.

Waiting for the golden crops to ripen / For him to go harvest, for her to bring food.

c) The reality of her life in her husband’s house.

• Wild bird, wild bird mingling with peacock, / Bitterness is unbearable, how frustrating!
• Branches tied, branches interwoven, / Far away shakes, far away sings, / Neighbors don’t know, frustration because of spring noise.

Question 3.

Mood: ashamed, regretful about the impulsive decisions she made. Occasionally, she reveals a sense of shame in her speech.

Question 4.

The use of stage directions in the excerpt concretizes the actions and thoughts of the character, allowing readers and viewers to explore the character’s depth. This helps the character directly express emotions, making it easier to perform and highlight changes in psychology.

Question 5.

In my opinion, Xuy Van is a pitiable character. Xuy Van longs for happiness and love, but since Kim Nham is away for long periods, she is led astray by Tran Phuong’s sweet talk, resulting in feigning madness to escape her marriage and ultimately becoming truly mad.

Question 6.

If Xuy Van in the cheo play Kim Nham lived in modern times, she could escape her personal tragedy by: carefully investigating Tran Phuong before wanting to end her marriage with Kim Nham. Going to Kim Nham to clearly explain the situation, rather than feigning madness.

1. Preparation

The requirement (page 64 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

• The text narrates the event of Xuý Vân feigning insanity.
• The main character in the text is Xuý Vân, portrayed through:
  • Actions: singing, dancing
  • Language: half-crazy, half-real
  • Emotions: pain, humiliation, resentment, and distress

• Stage directions in the text: talking sideways, dancing, hitchhiking
• The title of the excerpt and the imagery evoke the idea that Xuý Vân is a girl who is insane and not normal.

2. Reading Comprehension

* Main Content:

The excerpt "Xuý Vân Feigns Insanity" conveys the tragedy of a woman yearning for love but unable to attain it, leading her to feign insanity, which eventually results in her death.

* Responding to In-Between Questions:
Câu 1 (page 65 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

• Stage directions: talking sideways, dancing, hitchhiking
• Character's language: half-crazy, naïve, half-real, conscious

Câu 2 (page 65 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

The use of words in Xuý Vân's song in this excerpt is unique, blending half-craziness and naivety with half-realism, full of imagery, and implying the painful feelings of Xuý Vân about her frustrated fate and humiliation.

Câu 3 (page 66 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

Xuý Vân narrates her life: “Though foolish, my talent is priceless”, “I abandoned Kim Nhan, captivated by Trần Phương”, “Leading me to madness”

Câu 4 (page 66 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

• The situation “Wild rooster, wild rooster eating with pheasants / Bitter sorrow, unable to endure, resentment!” => isolated and lonely in her husband's family
• Dreams: “Waiting for the rice to ripen / So that he can harvest, so that she can bring food” => longing for a warm, simple family happiness
• Emotions: “The neighbors who know nothing, resentful because of the spring noise” => loneliness, isolation, boredom due to the lack of a companion

Câu 5 (page 66 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

The cleverly executed, graceful, and rhythmic dance along with the song

Câu 6 (page 67 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

“Crying out for love, but the boat does not respond” => restless yearning for her lover

Figures of speech: “The fish lies in the puddle – subject to countless fishing hooks” reflect the frustration, loneliness, and distress, illustrating the stifling pressure from multiple sides.

Câu 7 (page 67 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

The drum of rice cake >< rice harvest

A group of girls >< wading through rivers, falling into weeds

Mice >< perching on the fence

Gnats >< flapping wings

Old Man Buddha >< breaking the neck of the deer

The chicken egg >< being carried by a crow to perch on a tree

In the communal house >< pounding and grinding sounds

In the hat >< pegs and beams

Under the river >< shops selling bowls

Out on the sea >< we cut wood to build a house

The crow >< incubating turtles

Riding the rooster >< going to fight the enemy

=> Recreates Xuý Vân’s absurd speech

* Answering the Final Questions:

Câu 1 (page 68 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

• Style of speech: as if talking sideways, singing songs, feigned talk.
• Tone: Hitchhiking, wild rooster, staggered, erratic, counter-flow, reversed songs.
• Dance: Spider weaving, spinning thread, weaving cloth.
• Stage directions: Dome

Câu 2 (page 68 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

a) The “role-playing” of being insane by Xuý Vân

- I clasp my hands and beg you not to laugh,

I have no connection to the moon and wind,

The wind and moon let them go

O you, keep the eternal virtue, don’t forget.

- I don’t hide anything, Xuý Vân is me

Though foolish, my talent is priceless,

It’s well known that I sing well,

Everyone calls me lady Xuý Vân

Abandoned Kim Nham, captivated by Trần Phương

Leading me to madness.

b) The dream of a family life of hers.

Waiting for the rice to ripen

So that he can harvest, so that she can bring food.

c) The reality of her life in her husband’s family.

- The wild rooster eats with the pheasant

Bitterness, cannot endure, resentment!

Chattering loudly, bumping into each other

Far off, they whisper, far away, they echo

The neighbors know nothing, resentful because of the spring noise.

Câu 3 (page 68 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

Her mood oscillates between regret, shame for her actions, and embarrassment, distress, pain, and sorrow

I call out, but the boat does not answer

I wait, but it never comes

Xuý Vân feels lonely, resentful, and disheartened due to the lack of someone to confide in, yearning for happiness, but life becomes more complicated and tragic.

Câu 4 (page 68 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

Artistic expression: The author intertwines real words and feigned words to express the contradiction in her mood. Uses different styles of speech, tones, and dance to show the changes in the character’s psychology and emotions.

Câu 5 (page 68 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

The character Xuý Vân is both pitiable and blameworthy.

• Pitiable because she did not achieve complete happiness, lacks a sympathetic companion in her lonely family situation.
• Blameworthy: Naïvely trusting Trần Phương’s words and betraying her husband, leading to disgrace and a painful death.

Câu 6 (page 68 of Literature textbook for Grade 10 – Cánh Diều):

If Xuý Vân were living in modern times, she could free herself by:

• Openly sharing her feelings with her husband and seeking a solution
• Seeking help and sharing with her family members

* Main Content:

- The text “Xuý Vân giả dại” tells the story of Xuý Vân feigning madness at the suggestion of Trần Phương, a wealthy and flirtatious man, to force Kim Nham to send her back home.

* Mid-Article Question Answers:

Question 1 (Page 65, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): Pay attention to the stage directions (italicized in parentheses) and the language of the characters to visualize Xuý Vân's actions, emotions, and moods.

Answer:

• Stage directions (spoken slant; musical bridges; folk songs; flute)
• Character language: symbolic, expressive, rustic, and rich in literary value
• Reveals Xuý Vân’s sorrowful mood, feeling of being abandoned: “The more I wait, the later the boat comes”, “It’s no use in having a family, why stay here to be scorned, laughed at”

→ The image of the girl waiting in vain for the boat to arrive concretizes Xuý Vân's humiliation and failure.

Question 2 (Page 65, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): What is unique about the choice of words in Xuý Vân's singing in this section?

Answer:

The use of words in Xuý Vân's singing in this section is unique because it oscillates between madness and clarity, filled with vivid imagery and underlying meanings that express Xuý Vân's sorrowful state about her broken fate.

Question 3 (Page 66, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): What does Xuý Vân tell about herself in the act of naming herself?

Answer: In the act of naming herself, Xuý Vân portrays herself as naive, talented, but swayed by Kim Nham’s affection and following Trần Phương's suggestion to feign madness to escape her husband, ultimately becoming truly insane.

Question 4 (Page 66, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): Pay attention to the imagery that portrays Xuý Vân's situation, dreams, and moods.

Answer:

• Her loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness in her husband’s family: “The wild hen mingles with the peacock - Bitter and unbearable!”
• Her disappointment before the contrast between the dream of a warm family and the reality of her husband’s neglect due to his scholarly pursuits: “The rice stalks ripe for harvest - Let him go reap, let her bring lunch”
• Her frustration, bitterness, and desperation: “The neighbors don’t know, oppressed by spring gossip” portrays her solitude, suffering due to lack of support.

Question 5 (Page 66, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): Imagine Xuý Vân's dance and singing on stage.

Answer: One can imagine Xuý Vân’s dance as depicting a diligent and skilled woman “the spider-web dance, weaving silk, spinning yarn.” She is a hardworking girl, and her simple, realistic dreams are vividly shown through her singing and mad laughter, which reveal the rich, chaotic, and tragic inner world of hers.

Question 6 (Page 67, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): What does Xuý Vân lament about? Pay attention to the metaphorical devices in her upcoming song.

Answer:

• Xuý Vân laments her longing for her former lover, restlessly unable to sleep, clinging to past affections.
• The metaphorical device in “The roach fish lies in the muddy pond - Let the seven or eight fishing lines hook in” symbolizes oppression, loneliness, and entrapment, reflecting the state of being stuck, uncertain, and surrounded by dangers, indicating the weight of pressure from all sides.

Question 7 (Page 67, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): Pay attention to the paradoxical, unrealistic elements in Xuý Vân’s song.

Answer:

• The paradoxical, unrealistic elements in Xuý Vân’s song are most evident at the end of the text: “The drumstick, skillfully tapping out flowers … Riding the hen to fight the enemy!”
• Through this, Xuý Vân's state turns chaotic and deranged, revealing a lost, disoriented state. Her words reflect a tumultuous, contradictory reality, indicating a character in a state of confusion, madness, and hopelessness.

* End-Article Question Answers:

Question 1 (Page 68, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): What literary techniques does the folk author use to recount the story of “Xuý Vân giả dại”?

Answer:

• The way of speaking: asides, imitations, sorrowful laments, exaggerated expressions.
• Melodies: Folklore tunes like boat crossings, wild hen, weaving silk.
• Dance: Spider-web dance, silk spinning, yarn weaving.
• Stage directions: Drums

Question 2 (Page 68, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): Point out the main lines, song lyrics, and stage directions that highlight:

a) Xuý Vân’s “playing the role” of a mad person,

b) Her dreams for a family life,

c) The reality of her life in her husband's family.

Answer:

a) Xuý Vân’s “playing the role” of a mad person:

I clasp my hands, beg you not to laugh,

I am not a moonbeam meeting a windbeam,

Let the moonbeam and windbeam go

Oh dear, keep the eternal virtue unforgotten.

Don’t hide it, Xuý Vân is me,

Though naive, priceless in talent,

The world says I sing well and have an unusual voice,

Everyone calls me Miss Xúy Vân,

Abandoned Kim Nham, obsessed with Trần Phương,

So much so that I went mad.

b) Her dreams for a family life:

Waiting for the golden rice to ripen

Let him go reap, let her bring lunch

c) The reality of her life in her husband's family:

The wild hen mingles with the peacock

Bitter and unbearable!”

“The rice stalks ripe for harvest

Let him go reap, let her bring lunch

The neighbors don’t know, oppressed by spring gossip

Question 3 (Page 68, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): How is Xuý Vân’s mood portrayed through the call for the ferry, the wild hen song, and her lament?

Answer:

Xuý Vân’s mood is portrayed through her wait for the ferry, in the wild hen song, and in her lament. She is conflicted about her actions but feels abandoned, hopeless, and isolated in her husband’s family, disappointed by the contrast between her dream of a happy, warm family and the reality of her husband’s neglect due to his scholarly ambitions. She also blames fate, but her aspirations don’t align, leading to bitterness, loneliness, and despair as pressure mounts from all sides, leaving her without anyone to share these feelings. The contradictory, irrational phrases evoke an internal turmoil, indicating Xuý Vân in a state of chaos, madness, and lost direction.

Question 4 (Page 68, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): Analyze the impact of one artistic element in this text that distinctly showcases the characteristics of Chèo theater.

Answer:

• The art of depicting Xuý Vân’s complex mood through her singing: Xuý Vân’s complex mood is revealed through the contradiction between her outward appearance and her internal emotional state.
• The internal thoughts and emotions: Xuý Vân is entirely rational, always conflicted, resentful, bitter, feeling lonely, and isolated...
• Her external appearance, however, involves playing the role of a mad person, with actions and words reflecting someone deranged.
• The artistic approach: The author intertwines rational and insane dialogues to reveal the contradictions in Xuý Vân’s mood. Various speaking styles, melodies, dances, and stage directions showcase the shifts in her psychology and mood.

Question 5 (Page 68, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): According to you, is the character Xuý Vân more pitiable or blameworthy? Why?

Answer:

Xuý Vân is more pitiable than blameworthy because:

• She accepts a marriage arranged by her parents hastily without genuine love. When she first arrives at her husband’s house, she is a good wife, a diligent and skilled woman, beautiful inside and out.
• She was once an ordinary country girl with simple, modest dreams for a family life: a husband and wife living together happily, working in the fields together during harvest season. But those dreams are shattered when her husband and his family are more interested in scholarly ambitions and aspirations for success. During her most vulnerable moment, she meets Trần Phương, someone she views as a kindred spirit, someone who understands her.
• Xuý Vân is intelligent, resourceful, diligent, and yearns for happiness, but she must feign madness to pursue fleeting love and ultimately pays a heavy price. Her desire for free love is thwarted by the confining social norms and outdated “Three Obediences” ideology that oppresses women’s fates.

Question 6 (Page 68, Literature Textbook Grade 10, Volume 1): If Xuý Vân from the Chèo play Kim Nham lived in modern times, how might she escape her tragic fate?

Answer: If Xuý Vân from the Chèo play Kim Nham lived in modern times, she could escape her tragic fate by firstly apologizing to Kim Nham and having a conversation to understand each other. Instead of pretending to be mad to end the marriage, she should delve deeper into her partner’s character before making any decisions. Rather than acting on impulse, she must explore and understand potential partners to avoid falling into transient love and assess their true intentions before deciding to break the marriage and seek love elsewhere.

Preparation

1. Read the literature knowledge section to apply it to understanding this text
2. When reading Chèo or Tuồng texts, pay attention.

• What event does the text recount, and how does it unfold?
• Who is the main character in the text? How is the character depicted through language, actions, emotions, etc.?
• What stage directions, imagery, vocabulary, and literary devices are used in the text? How do these directions and devices help you visualize the context, actions, and emotions of the characters?

*Summary of Chèo:

Xuý Vân, the daughter of the county magistrate, is diligent and skilled. She is married to Kim Nham, a poor student from Nam Định province. After marriage, Kim Nham travels to Tràng An to study further. Xuý Vân feels sorrowful waiting for him. During this time, Trần Phương, a wealthy man from Đông Ngàn (Bắc Ninh), tries to woo her and persuades her to fake insanity to escape from Kim Nham. Xuý Vân follows his advice. Upon hearing this, Kim Nham hastily returns to find a cure for his wife, but it proves futile. He has no choice but to give Xuý Vân her freedom. At this point, Trần Phương reveals his deceptive nature. Overwhelmed and heartbroken, Xuý Vân, ashamed and desperate, eventually jumps into the river and drowns.

The excerpt below recounts the event where Xuý Vân pretends to be insane at Trần Phương's behest to force Kim Nham to let her return home.

• Read the text “Xuý Vân Pretends to Be Insane” beforehand.
• What is your initial impression of Xuý Vân from the title and the depiction of the character?

Answer: The title and depiction of the character give an initial impression of a woman feigning madness amidst a bustling crowd.

*Response to mid-text questions

Main content of Xuý Vân’s pretense: The excerpt tells about Xuý Vân faking insanity according to Trần Phương's advice to force Kim Nham to return home.

Question 1, page 65, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Pay attention to the stage directions (in italics in parentheses) and the language used by the characters to visualize Xuý Vân’s actions, emotions, and feelings.

Answer:

Stage directions:

• mispronunciation
• winking
• singing in exaggerated tone
• response in rhythm

Question 2, page 65, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: What makes the use of language in Xuý Vân’s song in this section unique?

Answer:

- The language in Xuý Vân’s song is unique in that:

• It repeats the word “grief” three times
• Metaphorical imagery: boat, river, vendor, wind, and moon.

Question 3, page 66, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: What does Xuý Vân narrate about herself in her self-identification?

Answer:

In her self-identification, Xuý Vân narrates her name, qualities, talents, and her situation.

Question 4, page 66, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Pay attention to the imagery that expresses Xuý Vân’s feelings, dreams, and emotions.

Answer:

• Imagery expressing feelings: Wild chicken, wild chicken eating with peacock/ Bitterness cannot endure ills
• Imagery expressing dreams: For him to harvest, for her to bring food
• Imagery expressing emotions: Woe by spring’s deception

Question 5, page 66, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Visualize Xuý Vân’s dance and song on stage.

Answer:

Xuý Vân’s dance and song on stage depict her as a skillful and diligent housekeeper in traditional “catching spiders, spinning silk, weaving” — chores that show the diligence and dexterity of women in ancient times. Combined with her complex and tragic emotions, it makes her seem as if she is truly pretending to be insane.

Question 6, page 67, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: What does Xuý Vân lament about? Pay attention to the figurative devices in the impending song.

Answer:

• Xuý Vân laments her yearning for her lover
• Figurative device: fish in a muddy pond, seven or eight fishing lines hook onto pearls.

→ This imagery highlights the deep sorrow and helplessness of Xuý Vân, a woman trapped in a desperate and scandalous situation, emphasizing the character’s unfortunate fate.

Question 7, page 67, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Pay attention to the absurd and unrealistic elements in Xuý Vân’s song.

Answer:

Absurd and unrealistic elements in Xuý Vân’s song:

• Drumstick — strikes flour
• Girl wades into the river, falls into weeds
• Mouse perches on the fence — mosquito hatches out of wings
• Fairy snaps the neck of the deer
• Egg — crow carries it
• Cranes incubate turtles
• Riding a rooster to fight

*Response to end-text questions

Question 1, page 68, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: How did the folk author use linguistic, melodic, choreographic, and stage directions to tell the story of “Xuý Vân Pretends to Be Insane”?

Answer:

• Linguistic devices: mispronunciation, exaggeration, mourning tone
• Melodic devices: off-tone singing, exaggerated tones, inverse singing, and wild chicken tone.
• Choreographic devices: catching spiders, spinning silk, weaving...
• Stage directions: response in rhythm

Question 2, page 68, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Point out the main statements, song lyrics, and stage directions that primarily express:

a) Xuý Vân's “pretending to be insane” role

b) Her dreams of a family life

c) Her reality in her husband’s family

Answer:

a) The statements, lyrics, and stage directions express Xuý Vân’s “pretending to be insane” role:

• Statements: I bow to you, don’t laugh at me / I’m not moonlit, I meet moonlit people / Oh dear, uphold the unchanging path
• Lyrics: The drumstick, who cleverly strikes flour / A flock of girls wades, falls into weeds / Mouse perches on the fence — mosquito hatches wings... Rides a rooster to fight
• Stage directions: response in rhythm, Xuý Vân enters, laughing as she walks.

b) The statements, lyrics, and stage directions express Xuý Vân’s dreams of a family life:

• Statements, lyrics: Wait until the rice turns golden / For him to harvest, for her to bring food
• Stage directions: Xuý Vân performs the spider-catching, silk-spinning, weaving dance.

c) The statements, lyrics, and stage directions depict her reality in her husband’s family:

• Lyrics: The wild chicken eats with the peacock / Bitterness cannot endure ills, Distant, distant, chat, distant / Neighbors unaware, woe by spring’s deception
• Stage directions: singing in an off-tone

Question 3, page 68, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: How is Xuý Vân’s mood reflected through the call for a boat, the wild chicken tune, lamenting, and inverse songs?

Answer:

Xúy Vân’s mood is vividly portrayed through the boat call, wild chicken tune, lamenting, and inverse songs. Her endless yearning, her sorrowful waiting throughout her youth is expressed through the boat call. The miserable situation, full of tragedy, is conveyed through the wild chicken tune. Next, the tragic love, her simultaneous affection for her husband and her longing for her former lover, and the resulting sleepless nights fill her heart with sorrow. Finally, her conflicted emotions and senseless, gloomy feelings are clearly expressed through the inverse songs.

Question 4, page 68, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Analyze the impact of an artistic element in the text that clearly demonstrates the characteristics of Chèo theater.

Answer:

The use of character portrayal is an artistic element that clearly shows the characteristics of Chèo theater. It includes the depiction of the internal thoughts, complex emotions of the character through lamentations, songs, or gestures. Coupled with diverse linguistic devices and stage directions, this effectively highlights the shifts in the mood and emotions of the character in a logical sequence, fitting the tragic context of the character.

Question 5, page 68, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: Do you consider Xuý Vân as more pitiful or more blameworthy? Why?

Answer:

In my view, Xuý Vân is both pitiful and blameworthy. She is pitiful because her life and marriage have been full of misfortune, suffering, loneliness, and humiliation in her husband’s family when her husband is away. Nevertheless, she is also blameworthy for her lack of fidelity. She listens to her lover’s advice, pretending to be insane to have her husband release her so that she can follow her lover. As we know, Xuý Vân only seeks to pursue her desire for happiness, to satisfy her love, and to live happily together. But she chooses to betray her husband, follow her lover — giving in to the call of love and losing the inherent virtue of a woman, loyalty and fidelity.

Question 6, page 68, Literature 10 textbook, Volume 1: If Xuý Vân in the Chèo play “Kim Nham” lived in modern times, how could she escape her tragedy?

Answer:

In modern times, Xuý Vân could express her situation, thoughts, and feelings to Kim Nham. In modern society, everyone is equal, and couples must respect each other’s decisions. Instead of pretending to be insane, she should openly express her feelings to Kim Nham, clearly communicate her desires to her husband, and end their unhappy marriage peacefully. Additionally, she should investigate Trần Phương’s character carefully, not fall in love blindly to ultimately avoid being deceived. From this, she could make a wise decision to continue or end her relationship, carefully plan her future life.